Turkey Ragout With White Wine Food

QUICK TURKEY RAGU

Steps:

• Heat 1/4 cup oil over medium heat, in a heavy pot or Dutch oven, with a lid. Add onions and red pepper. Cook for 2 minutes, to soften the onions. Add 1 tablespoon garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, until fragrant (don't let it brown). Add tomato puree, tomato paste, water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and immediately lower to a gentle simmer. Partially cover the pot to prevent sputtering. Simmer sauce for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large cast iron or non-stick skillet or heavy sauce pan, over medium heat. Add chopped shallots. Sauté, stirring often, for 3 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of chopped garlic and sauté, stirring, for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the turkey and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring and breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until the turkey has lost all of it's pink color. If there's lots of liquid in the pot, cook for an additional minute to evaporate some of the liquid. Pour in the wine and simmer on medium-low for 5 minutes, until the wine is reduced by about half. Pour in 4 cups of marinara sauce or homemade tomato sauce. Bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer. Cook the meat sauce, partially covered, for 10 minutes to combine flavors.
• Serve sauce over pasta, spaghetti squash, or zoodles. For a richer, creamier consistency, stir 1/2 cup of ricotta cheese into the sauce before serving. Garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese and slivered basil.

WHITE WINE BASTED TURKEY

Steps:

• Serves 12 to 14 If your roasting pan only fits sideways in the oven, turn the pan every hour so the turkey cooks and browns evenly.
• For step-by-step photos, see our Roast Turkey and Gravy feature.
• Rinse turkey with cool water, and dry with paper towels.
• Let stand for 2 hours at room temperature.
• Place rack on lowest level in oven.
• Heat oven to 450°.
• Combine melted butter and white wine in a bowl.
• Fold a large piece of cheesecloth into quarters and cut it into a 17-inch, four-layer square.
• Immerse cheesecloth in the butter and wine; let soak.
• Place turkey, breast side up, on a roasting rack in a heavy metal roasting pan.
• Remove pop up time if there is one, use regular meat thermometer in thick part of leg.
• Fold wing tips under turkey.
• Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper inside turkey.
• (Stuff loosely if you choose, I do not stuff) Tie legs together loosely with kitchen string (a bow will be easy to untie later).
• Fold neck flap under, and secure with toothpicks.
• Rub turkey with the softened butter, and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and pepper.
• Lift cheesecloth out of liquid, and squeeze it slightly, leaving it very damp.
• Spread it evenly over the breast and about halfway down the sides of the turkey; it can cover some of the leg area.
• Place turkey, legs first, in oven.
• Cook for 30 minutes.
• Using a pastry brush, baste cheesecloth and exposed parts of turkey with butter and wine.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350°, and continue to cook for 2 1/2 more hours, basting every 30 minutes, you will need to reheat the butter-wine mixture occasionally as the butter will harden.
• Watch pan juices; if the pan gets too full, spoon out juices, reserving them for gravy.
• After this third hour of cooking, carefully remove and discard cheesecloth.
• Turn roasting pan so that the breast is facing the back of the oven.
• Baste turkey with pan juices.
• If there are not enough juices, continue to use butter and wine.
• The skin gets fragile as it browns, so baste carefully.
• Cook 1 more hour, basting after 30 minutes.
• After this fourth hour of cooking, insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh.
• Do not poke into a bone.
• The temperature should reach 180° (stuffing should be between 140° and 160°) and the turkey should be golden brown.
• The breast does not need to be checked for temperature.
• If legs are not yet fully cooked, baste turkey, return to oven, and cook another 20 to 30 minutes.
• When fully cooked, transfer turkey to a serving platter, and let rest for about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the gravy.
• Pour all the pan juices into a glass measuring cup.
• Let stand until grease rises to the surface, about 10 minutes, then skim it off.
• Meanwhile, place roasting pan over medium-high heat.
• Add 1 cup dry red or white wine, or water, to the pan.
• Using a wooden spoon, scrape the pan until liquid boils and all the crisp bits are unstuck from pan.
• Add giblet stock to pan.
• Stir well, and bring back to a boil.
• Cook until liquid has reduced by half, about 10 minutes.
• Add the defatted pan juices, and cook over medium-high heat 10 minutes more.
• You will have about 2 1/2 cups of gravy.
• Season to taste, strain into a warm gravy boat, and serve with turkey.

HEALTHY RIGATONI WITH TURKEY RAGOUT

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid.
• Heat the oil in a large deep nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, turkey, tomatoes, vinegar, onion, crushed red pepper and 3/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring and breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until the vegetables are soft and the turkey is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water, bring to a simmer and cook until the consistency of tomato sauce, about 4 minutes.
• Add the cooked pasta to the turkey-mushroom sauce along with the parsley. Toss to combine; adjust seasoning if needed.
• Transfer the pasta to a serving platter or individual bowls. Sprinkle with the cheese and parsley and serve.

TURKEY RAGù

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring, until golden and most of the fat has rendered, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate.
• Add the oil to the skillet. Stir in the carrot, celery, onion, garlic and bay leaf. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft and a little golden in spots, about 7 minutes. Scrape the mixture onto a plate.
• Add the turkey to skillet and cook, breaking up meat with a fork, until golden and cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes. Return pancetta and vegetables to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in the wine; cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet, until it is mostly evaporated. Add the crushed tomatoes. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the butter until melted. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Serve over pasta, topped with a dollop of ricotta.

RIGATONI WITH WHITE BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Add enough oil to a large, deep sauté pan to coat the base and place over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the onion, carrots and celery and sauté until glassy and just tender, about 5 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add the sausage and beef to the pan, breaking it into walnut-size pieces, and brown well.
• Pour in the wine and keep at a rapid simmer until the pan is almost dry. Then pour in 1 1/2 cups beef bouillon and lower the heat to medium. Simmer gently, uncovered, until the bouillon is nearly gone, stirring now and then. Meanwhile, chop the rehydrated porcini into small pieces, reserving the liquid.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add mushroom liquid to the sauce to cover the meat halfway (about 1 cup) along with the porcini and continue simmering until the sauce is loose but not soupy, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and pepper; it should be highly seasoned. When the consistency is right, fold the cream in. Remove from the heat and cover.
• When the pasta water is at a full boil, add the rigatoni and cook until still firm, but not hard, in the center. When the pasta is almost done, scoop out 1 cup of pasta water and reserve. Drain the pasta and then return it to the pot. Pour the pasta sauce on top and fold in with a wooden spoon. The pasta should not be dry. Add a little pasta water or mushroom liquid to loosen it. (It will continue to soak up sauce on the way to the table.) Serve in one large bowl or in individual bowls, passing the cheese at the table.

TURKEY RAGOUT WITH WHITE WINE

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients except cornstarch, water, salt and pepper in slow cooker. Cover and cook 6-8 hours on low.
• Turn heat to high and cook 10 minutes; stir in combined cornstarch and water, stirring 2-3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.